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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — of the year
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — the tool
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — army training
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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