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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.

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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: patient · suit · board · pop · cue · row · key · spring

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — of water
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. row — a line
  10. board — a committee
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — to fit
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — a coil
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cue — a hint
  22. row — to paddle
  23. key — in music
  24. patient — a sick person

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