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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: net · saw · cell · land · key · ball · mark · mug

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — to come down
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — a country
  10. key — in music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — a face
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ball — a dance
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — after costs
  21. land — ground
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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