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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 116 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: spring · bulb · mug · last · can · degree · swing · key

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — the season
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. swing — music
  7. last — to go on
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — from a university
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — finally
  21. degree — temperature
  22. last — final
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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