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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. spring — a coil
  3. season — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — a song
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — the season
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — a path
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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