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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: leaves · current · key · jam · season · chest · craft · last

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. season — of the year
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — finally
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — electric
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — of water
  16. last — final
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — for a lock
  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