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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.

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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: present · key · deal · bat · foot · season · chip · drill

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — a measure
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — the tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. drill — army training
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. season — of the year
  21. key — in music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — a gift
  24. deal — an agreement

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