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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · jam · pound · calf · saw · key · game · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. game — wild animals
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. key — in music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spring — the season

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