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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. key — in music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — a contest
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — a permit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — humankind

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