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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: spell · key · ground · net · fine · cue · sharp · foot

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — a position
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ground — the earth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — a short time
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — all right
  24. spell — magic

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