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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — to bear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. season — in sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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