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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: land · rule · coach · key · suit · rock · spring · craft

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — to come down
  3. rule — government
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. rock — music
  15. key — in music
  16. land — a country
  17. craft — boats
  18. suit — in cards
  19. craft — a skill
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — ground

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