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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: hand · jam · toast · spring · dip · ball · bear · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. band — a ring
  11. spring — of water
  12. hand — help
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. toast — bread
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spring — a coil

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