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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 · stock · racket · ground · fall · bound · season · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — of the year
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fall — the season
  18. kick — in football
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — goods
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — a loud noise

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