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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · spring · bear · coach · arm · jam · stick · object

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — a coil
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ground — the earth

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