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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 120 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: squash · key · ball · season · march · straw · fine · lean

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — all right
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — high quality
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — music
  21. lean — thin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a round shape

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