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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 · capital · content · arm · net · pit · press · pound

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. content — happy
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. capital — money
  13. net — for catching
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. press — a publisher
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — in sport
  20. press — to push
  21. capital — a city
  22. content — the amount
  23. pound — a weight
  24. arm — part of the body

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