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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. march — the month
  3. key — for a lock
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. current — electric
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — in sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — music
  20. key — in music
  21. current — of water
  22. snap — to click
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — a tool

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