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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cap — of ice
  3. roll — a cake
  4. season — in sport
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. current — electric
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spring — a coil
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — of water
  19. key — the most important part
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — happening now
  24. cap — a hat

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