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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — to breed
  5. land — ground
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — a friend
  8. land — a country
  9. season — of the year
  10. pit — in a race
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — in music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ruler — a monarch

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