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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 · roll · craft · cap · pop · season · track · drill

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spring — the season
  11. track — a path
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — a cake
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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