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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: game · content · bore · spring · safe · rock · jam · spell

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. content — the amount
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — happy
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a match
  13. bore — to drill
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bore — to tire

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