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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: jam · stem · ground · mate · firm · key · hide · season

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — in sport
  3. key — the most important part
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. firm — steady
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — of the year
  21. mate — a friend
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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