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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. season — in sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. board — to get on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — a list
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — army training
  19. kick — in football
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. drill — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. roll — a cake
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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