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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.

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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: drill · key · season · bat · calf · net · bear · racket

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. drill — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — a practice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — in music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. season — in sport
  24. net — in sport

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