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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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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: plane · cue · key · season · tear · land · ground · jam

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. season — of the year
  6. tear — to rip
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — the earth
  9. plane — a tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. ground — a position
  24. jam — in traffic

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