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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · key · dip · lean · season · ground · band · chair

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ground — a position
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — of the year
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lean — thin
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — a stone
  24. band — a music group

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