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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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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: roll · cell · hand · jam · kick · bulb

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — in cards
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. kick — in football
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. hand — help
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cell — in biology
  15. roll — a list
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. jam — in traffic

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