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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. key — in music
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — of water
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ball — a great time
  9. kick — in football
  10. current — happening now
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — a coil
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — electric
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spring — the season
  21. season — in sport
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spring — of water
  24. content — happy

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