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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
468
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: hand · firm · racket · kid · spell · season · safe · jam

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. firm — decided
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — steady
  15. kid — child
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hand — help
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. safe — out of danger

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