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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: mark · key · board · net · content · object · bore · hide

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. object — a thing
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — after costs
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. content — happy
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hide — animal skin

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