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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — for a lock
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — a line
  8. season — of the year
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — in music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — ground

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