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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.

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: content · pitcher · key · bass · net · spell · foot · file

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a document
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. net — for catching
  17. foot — a measure
  18. content — happy
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. file — a line of people
  24. key — the most important part

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