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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: nail · date · net · content · key · capital · file · saw

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. key — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. capital — a city
  11. file — a tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — the amount
  16. file — a document
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. date — the fruit
  19. content — happy
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. capital — money
  24. net — in sport

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