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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fall — the season
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — of water
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spring — the season
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pound — a weight
  19. squash — to crush
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — to hit hard

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