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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
468
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 · ball · season · staff · lean · row · track · pit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. season — in sport
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — of water
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ball — a dance
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — of the year
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — a stick
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. lean — thin
  24. row — a line

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