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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: saw · jam · season · race · ground · pound · spring · spell

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ground — a position
  8. race — humankind
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. race — the arms race
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — of water
  20. ground — the earth
  21. season — in sport
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spring — the season

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