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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — in music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spell — letters
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — in sport
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. race — a contest
  13. kick — in football
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spell — a short time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spell — magic
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — all right

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