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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: lean · club · key · stock · saw · season · jam · kick

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. club — for golf
  10. kick — in football
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to bend
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. season — in sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — thin
  24. season — of the year

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