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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: wax · can · drill · net · rock · pitch · fine · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — after costs
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rock — music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. net — for catching
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — army training
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. key — in music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fine — a penalty

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