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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. spring — of water
  3. season — of the year
  4. mark — a grade
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mate — a partner
  11. current — electric
  12. fine — high quality
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mate — to breed
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — clothes
  17. march — the month
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. season — in sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. current — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. fine — all right

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