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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — a coil
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spring — the season
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — of water
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hide — animal skin

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