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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
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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: net · perch · mark · ball · toast · clip · fork · key

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ball — a dance
  5. toast — bread
  6. key — the most important part
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. clip — for paper
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. clip — a video
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mark — a trace

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