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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 120 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: saw · spring · can · cold · suit · mark · court · key

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — the season
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cold — an illness
  6. key — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. court — of a king
  10. spring — of water
  11. cold — not warm
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mark — a trace
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — to fit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — for 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