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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: coach · spring · pop · deal · file · squash · jam · object

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spring — of water
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. squash — the sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. object — a thing
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spring — the season
  11. squash — to crush
  12. file — a line of people
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — an aim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. file — a tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. deal — a big deal

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