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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: rest · spell · march · game · craft · bore · jam · season

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. game — a match
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — letters
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. march — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — boats
  20. march — the month
  21. spell — magic
  22. season — in sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. craft — a skill

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