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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 116 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.

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: season · can · spring · cabinet · game · cap · ground · track

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a match
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — of the year
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ground — the earth
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — a path
  10. cap — a lid
  11. track — a song
  12. season — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — of water
  17. track — to keep track
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. spring — a coil

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