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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.

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: kick · stock · key · march · saw · object · net · present

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — there
  7. net — in sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. march — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. kick — in football
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. march — the month
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — after costs

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