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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. degree — an amount
  24. can — a tin

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