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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. board — a committee
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — in music
  8. fine — all right
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — in a road
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — an eyelash

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