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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: racket · season · spring · pit · key · temple · bulb · rock

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — of the year
  11. key — in music
  12. rock — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — a stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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