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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: mine · pass · lean · jam · bear · pitcher · club · spring

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — of water
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lean — thin
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — the season
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. club — for dancing

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