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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: ball · chip · season · kid · jam · mate · bulb · rush

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mate — a partner
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — a friend

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