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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · game · spring · current · calf · season · pitcher · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — of water
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — in sport
  8. game — a match
  9. current — happening now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — in music
  16. march — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — for a lock
  21. current — electric
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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