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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: foot · mark · jam · trunk · fan · season · board · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — hurry
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mark — a grade
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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