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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.

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: jam · rash · bat · pound · spring · staff · temple · present

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — a series
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spring — of water
  9. bat — the animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. present — there
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rash — hasty
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — a gift

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