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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: nail · jam · cabinet · land · squash · stand · toast · season

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. season — of the year
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — to bear
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — to come down
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — a country

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