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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — the fish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — the season
  6. firm — a company
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — electric
  18. season — of the year
  19. spring — a coil
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — decided
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. firm — steady
  24. season — in sport

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