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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · leaves · cue · game · roll · object · squash · key

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — for pool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. object — an aim
  5. squash — the sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — to crush
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. object — a thing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — of the year
  18. key — for a lock
  19. roll — a list
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — to protest
  24. key — in music

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