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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: plane · board · bowl · spring · calf · kick · content · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — happy
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. key — in music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. board — to get on
  24. content — the amount

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