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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
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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: calf · key · season · file · deal · game · nail · content

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. game — wild animals
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — in music
  6. game — a match
  7. content — happy
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — of the year
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. key — for a lock
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — the most important part

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