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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rock — a stone
  3. season — in sport
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mine — for digging
  11. season — of the year
  12. rock — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — with an edge

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