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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: spring · clip · can · stick · jam · foot · net · hand

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. net — for catching
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — after costs
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — in cards
  12. clip — for paper
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — the season
  20. foot — a measure
  21. spring — of water
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — in sport

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