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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. season — in sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — of the year
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. march — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. game — a match
  21. key — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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