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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.

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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. season — of the year
  7. capital — money
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. shower — rain
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ball — a dance
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. season — in sport

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