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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: nail · jam · kid · season · hand · bay · land · board

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. land — to come down
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. jam — in traffic

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