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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — of the year
  4. club — a group
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. mark — a trace
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — in sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spell — letters
  14. land — to come down
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. land — ground
  21. club — for golf
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mark — a grade
  24. season — to add flavour

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