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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: drill · content · key · rest · roll · net · kid · mug

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — in music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rest — a break
  7. roll — a list
  8. content — happy
  9. drill — the tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — what's left
  14. drill — army training
  15. kid — to tease
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. roll — a cake
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — to rob
  24. key — for a lock

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