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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: ground · rule · mate · net · cabinet · sharp · key · calf

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — for catching
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rule — a law
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ground — a position
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — government

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