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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: content · pound · jam · present · spring · bowl · toast · key

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — a weight
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. key — for a lock
  12. present — the time now
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. present — there
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. key — in music
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. key — the most important part
  22. content — happy
  23. spring — a coil
  24. content — videos and posts

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