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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 · foot · lie · jam · swing · game · date · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. swing — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. kid — child
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kid — to tease
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. date — the fruit
  24. foot — part of the body

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