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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: deal · rest · jam · season · pop · kick · vault · bat

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — to visit
  3. season — of the year
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — music
  7. rest — a break
  8. bat — the animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. vault — a safe
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pop — soda
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kick — a thrill

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