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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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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. key — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — to get on
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — an amount
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — a committee
  18. key — the most important part
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — temperature
  24. season — of the year

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