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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: rush · pass · can · game · mug · season · present · jam

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mug — a face
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. present — there
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. season — of the year
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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