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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. net — after costs
  5. squash — the sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bass — the fish
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spring — of water
  16. net — for catching
  17. bass — low music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. net — in sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. snap — to click

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