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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: clip · net · sharp · bank · march · key · calf · pit

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. march — the month
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — in music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — in a race
  11. clip — a video
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — music
  14. net — in sport
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — to cut
  18. key — the most important part
  19. net — for catching
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. clip — for paper

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