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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. key — in music
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — in sport
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — ground
  22. tube — the underground
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bowl — a dish

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