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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — of the year
  9. spring — a coil
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bank — of a river
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — for a lock
  17. field — a subject
  18. object — to protest
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — in sport
  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