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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — in a race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a hat
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — low music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. roll — a list
  14. track — a song
  15. key — in music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cap — of ice

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