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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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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: mark · bay · foot · present · jam · season · fall · band

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — there
  5. season — in sport
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — the season
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. foot — a measure
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — the time now
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

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