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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 120 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: degree · safe · mouse · net · snap · craft · key · content

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — the amount
  7. key — for a lock
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. degree — temperature
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. key — in 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