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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: fan · jam · wake · season · bowl · mine

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. season — of the year
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — in sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fan — a supporter

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