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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · craft · key · last · pit · dip · wound · content

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — in music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — finally
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — final
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. content — happy
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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