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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: spring · march · club · jam · bowl · net · deal · saw

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. march — music
  12. net — in sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. club — a group
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. march — the month

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