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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rush — hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. root — the cause
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. branch — a division
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — of a plant
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. key — in music
  22. root — of a word
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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