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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.

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: net · ruler · key · lash · field · club · chest · can

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — a box
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — a group
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — the most important part
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — for sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chest — of your body
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — in sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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