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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: kick · rock · key · net · spring · deal · hand · fine

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. hand — help
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — the season
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. net — after costs
  10. kick — in football
  11. fine — all right
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — high quality
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — for catching
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — in cards
  24. net — 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