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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: tear · ground · jam · season · board · bear · ball · squash

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — to crush
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ground — a position
  13. tear — from crying
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — a committee
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ground — the earth
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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