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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: key · fork · rock · bay · patient · net · hand · mate

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rock — music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. net — in sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. net — after costs
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a friend
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bay — a horse colour

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