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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. season — of the year
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — to keep track
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — a path
  12. spring — the season
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — of water
  18. firm — steady
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spring — a coil
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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