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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: fork · mouse · bass · race · lean · kick · key · land

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. land — a country
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. race — a contest
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. kick — in football
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. land — ground
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. key — in music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — the fish

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