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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: fork · object · net · last · kid · pop · craft · key

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — for catching
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — to go on
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. net — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — to protest
  13. craft — a skill
  14. last — finally
  15. key — in music
  16. kid — child
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. kid — to tease
  20. last — final
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. net — after costs
  24. pop — music

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