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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
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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: kick · spring · content · jam · degree · squash · leaves · fan

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kick — in football
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — the season
  7. content — the amount
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. content — happy
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spring — a coil
  24. squash — the sport

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