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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: club · chest · bear · jam · mate · deal · wake · season

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. season — of the year
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. club — a group
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chest — of your body

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