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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: face · current · fork · mouse · bay · season · spring · ball

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — in a road
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spring — a coil
  24. season — in sport

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