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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: pit · cue · season · spring · dip · bear · field · charge

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — in a race
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. season — of the year
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pit — a hole
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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