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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — a hat
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rush — hurry
  24. net — for catching

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