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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.

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: key · board · kick · season · foot · cabinet · fan · bass

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — low music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — in music
  18. kick — in football
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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