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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: foot · racket · dip · spring · arm · march · season · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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. march — music
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. key — for a lock
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. season — of the year
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — in music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. season — in sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. march — the month

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