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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: can · bowl · fan · deal · season · saw · straw · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — to be able to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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