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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 · field · pitcher · spell · cap · perch · rest · spring

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — of water
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — farmland
  14. spring — the season
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — a subject
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — a break
  20. field — for sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — for a bird

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