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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · bowl · key · ground · kick · spring · file · patient

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. ground — a position
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. file — a tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. file — a document
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. patient — a sick person

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