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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: stand · jam · ground · squash · mug · cabinet · season · date

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — of the year
  8. date — the fruit
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — to rob

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