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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: jam · chest · mate · ball · stand · band · season · dip

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. season — in sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chest — of your body
  10. season — of the year
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chest — a box
  14. band — a music group
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mate — a friend
  21. band — a ring
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. season — to add flavour

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