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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: key · march · current · firm · spring · wound · chip · season

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — a company
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chip — to eat
  11. march — music
  12. firm — steady
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — for betting
  18. march — the month
  19. current — electric
  20. season — in sport
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spring — the season

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