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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · key · fan · land · sharp · fine · spring · stand

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. season — of the year
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — the season
  9. key — the most important part
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. key — for a lock
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. fine — high quality
  15. land — to come down
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — a country
  21. spring — a coil
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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