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

Word bank: jam · season · wound · wake · club · foot

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — for dancing
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. club — for golf
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — of the year

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