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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · bear · jam · ball · cue · straw · spring · cabinet

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. field — a subject
  19. spring — of water
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. straw — dry grass

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