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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — to fit
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bat — the animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — a coil
  14. season — of the year
  15. current — electric
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — hasty
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — of water
  21. date — the fruit
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spell — magic

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