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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: spring · chip · pound · band · mark · season · key · net

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. spring — of water
  3. mark — a grade
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spring — a coil
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mark — a trace
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — after costs
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — a weight
  19. band — a music group
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. net — for catching
  22. chip — for betting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. key — in music

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