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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: season · jam · rush · can · sharp · pop · deal · fan

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — of the year
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — to visit
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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