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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pit — a hole
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. season — of the year
  19. key — in music
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — for a lock
  23. field — a subject
  24. pit — in a race

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