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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: deal · key · foot · scale · cabinet · season · spring · saw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — the most important part
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. deal — to handle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — the season
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — in sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spring — of water
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — in music

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