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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: tube · patient · bay · season · saw · firm · key · net

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — for catching
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. firm — steady
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — a company
  21. key — for a lock
  22. net — after costs
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — decided

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