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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · key · calf · roll · season · dip · hand · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. key — in music
  3. spring — the season
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. season — of the year
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — help
  8. roll — a list
  9. key — for a lock
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. season — in sport
  20. game — a match
  21. dip — to sink
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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