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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · content · season · net · key · cue · ball · wave

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. net — for catching
  5. key — in music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. net — in sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. season — of the year
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cue — a signal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com