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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 120 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: band · key · chair · object · spring · mouse · bulb · season

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. spring — the season
  7. chair — a leader
  8. band — a music group
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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