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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: kick · ball · march · key · season · arm · foot · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. key — in music
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ball — a dance
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — of the year
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. season — to add flavour

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