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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — certain
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — the animal

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