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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · ball · fine · key · fork · squash · pass · clip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — all right
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — to crush
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pass — a permit
  16. key — in music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — high quality
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — a video
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. clip — to cut

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