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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · key · net · rock · ball · drill · fork · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. content — the amount
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rock — music
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — after costs
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — a stone
  13. drill — army training
  14. object — an aim
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a dance
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — the tool
  23. object — a thing
  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