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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 · board · season · rest · sharp · club · rock · spring

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — of water
  3. rest — a break
  4. rock — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — in sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. club — for dancing
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — a group
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — clever
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — of the year
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. board — a committee

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