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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: spring · key · dip · drill · perch · march · roll · season

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. key — in music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spring — of water
  5. march — the month
  6. key — for a lock
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — army training
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. roll — a cake
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — a practice
  14. spring — a coil
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. perch — the fish
  17. season — of the year
  18. march — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. roll — a list
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. dip — to sink
  24. season — to add flavour

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