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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 · date · content · spring · bowl · clip · mug · bound

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bound — certain
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. content — the amount
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — tied together
  12. content — happy
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. clip — to cut
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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