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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · roll · season · bass · kick · cap · fall · fine

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fall — the season
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bass — low music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — in music
  24. season — in sport

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