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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · racket · season · chip · safe · jam · march · wound

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — a country
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — of the year
  19. march — the month
  20. land — to come down
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. land — ground
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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