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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: season · rock · fan · cue · dip · trunk · spring · net

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — after costs
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rock — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — the season
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — for catching
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spring — of water
  23. season — of the year
  24. spring — a coil

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