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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 116 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
468
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 · spell · land · rush · pit · key · fine · club

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — the most important part
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — in sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — a group
  10. land — ground
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — all right
  14. season — of the year
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. land — a country
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — high quality

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