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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.

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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: date · can · spring · wound · pitch · mouse · key · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. date — the fruit
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. can — to be able to
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spring — of water
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — on the calendar

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