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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: rock · ruler · net · ball · key · fall · roll · pit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. net — in sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. roll — a list
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — a cake
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fall — the season
  20. net — after costs
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. net — for catching

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