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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — a gift
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wake — a trail
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — of the year
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — obliged
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — certain
  20. present — there
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bound — tied together
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kick — with a leg

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