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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: can · jam · saw · mark · season · dip · game · bear

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mark — a trace
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — wild animals

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