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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: season · cap · key · cue · bore · field · present · saw

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. field — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — a lid
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cap — of ice
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — there

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