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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: rule · season · bay · hand · mine · can · file · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — government
  22. hand — help
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. can — to be able to

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