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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: bat · cue · key · last · bear · season · nail · mate

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. last — finally
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — final
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. last — to go on
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. season — of the year
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a partner

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