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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 · rock · bulb · ball · rest · hand · season · kid

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rest — a break
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — of the year
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — help
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — to tease
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kid — child
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. season — to add flavour

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