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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fork — in a road
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — ground
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. charge — in control
  15. bass — the fish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. key — for a lock
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — to eat with

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