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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. ground — a position
  9. season — of the year
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. season — in sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — in music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. race — the arms race

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