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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: season · jam · deal · trunk · pass · object · chest · foot

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chest — a box
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. season — in sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — to protest
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. deal — to handle
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — an aim
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. object — a thing
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pass — a permit

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