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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 · rest · season · cue · plane · court · fork · current

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. court — of a king
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — a break
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. current — of water
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cue — a signal
  20. court — for sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — a tool

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