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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 116 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: ball · spring · cabinet · pit · season · object · cue · deal

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ball — a great time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. object — a thing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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