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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · current · net · hide · bass · cap · mine · kick

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — after costs
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. net — for catching

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