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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spring — a coil
  3. club — for golf
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. club — for dancing
  7. net — in sport
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. staff — a stick
  12. net — after costs
  13. club — a group
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — of the year
  18. staff — employees

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