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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: clip · pit · ball · net · can · lash · current · key

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — for a lock
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a hole
  10. key — the most important part
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. net — in sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — after costs
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — a video
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — an eyelash

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