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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 · kick · wake · roll · fork · cap · jam · ground

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. roll — a list
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kick — in football
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — for a lock
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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