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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — the most important part
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spring — of water
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — in sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — a committee
  20. spring — a coil
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. season — to add flavour

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