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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: trunk · net · key · mouse · content · ball · pitch · wave

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a great time
  3. net — after costs
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. content — happy
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — in music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. net — for catching
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wave — with your hand

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