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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — to go on
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. kick — in football
  6. last — finally
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — low music
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — high quality
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fine — all right
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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