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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: game · rush · jam · spring · bulb · pop · rash · board

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. game — a match
  4. board — to get on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rush — hurry
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. board — a committee
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pop — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — soda
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a kind of play

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