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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: jam · mouse · spring · date · season · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. season — of the year
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water

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