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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. spring — the season
  2. march — the month
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spring — of water
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. march — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a cup
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mug — a face
  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