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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: game · club · calf · key · stand · fine · dip · season

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — high quality
  3. season — of the year
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — a group
  7. key — in music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — all right
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — the most important part
  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