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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mug — a face
  9. content — the amount
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — music
  21. spring — of water
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. mug — to rob

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