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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: key · track · pit · net · rest · last · spell · mug

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — a path
  12. last — finally
  13. key — in music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — for catching
  17. track — a song
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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