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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: key · file · season · mate · rock · net · can · cue

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — to be able to

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