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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: toast · mate · rest · jam · sharp · bound · ground · season

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — in sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ground — a position
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a friend
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — bread
  23. rest — a break
  24. season — of the year

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