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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 retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ground — a position
  13. season — of the year
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lie — to recline
  24. key — for a lock

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