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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. season — of the year
  2. kid — to tease
  3. track — a song
  4. kid — child
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — to keep track
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  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