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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: court · spell · chest · row · pass · leaves · jam · rock

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rock — music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — magic
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — of a king
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rock — a stone
  18. row — a line
  19. court — of law
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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