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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — a tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rest — a break
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stem — to come from

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