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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: swing · hand · suit · key · current · spring · season · coach

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hand — help
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. hand — in cards
  11. key — the most important part
  12. swing — music
  13. current — happening now
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — in golf
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. swing — to play on
  18. season — in sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. season — of the year
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. season — to add flavour

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