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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 116 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: staff · content · wind · fork · key · net · rock · object

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — after costs
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. content — happy
  5. object — a thing
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. object — to protest
  9. key — the most important part
  10. net — for catching
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — in music
  13. content — the amount
  14. net — in sport
  15. rock — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fork — in a road
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. object — an aim

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