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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: key · foot · kick · pit · row · mate · suit · game

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. game — wild animals
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — clothes
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. game — a match
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — to breed
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — a measure
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. game — a kind of play

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