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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: arm · band · object · season · key · squash · ground · dip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — in music
  3. band — a music group
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — crushed
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a ring
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — to crush
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — of the year
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — a thing

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