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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: deal · suit · jam · race · mate · spring · pass · wound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — a friend
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wound — an injury
  20. race — a contest
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pass — a permit

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