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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. row — a line
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bank — for money
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kick — in football
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. key — in music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mug — a face
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pound — a weight
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ground — a position
  24. season — in sport

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