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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.

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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: sharp · plane · key · net · degree · mark · ball · cap

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — of ice
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ball — a great time
  14. key — in music
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — temperature
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. plane — an aircraft

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