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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: jam · net · spring · tear · season · rest · rock · bowl

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. net — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spring — of water
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rest — a break
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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