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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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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: deal · wake · spring · jam · dip · key · stem · game

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spring — of water
  4. game — wild animals
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — to sink
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stem — to come from
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spring — the season
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. key — in music

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