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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: press · jam · fine · cue · saw · season · stem · mate

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cue — a signal
  5. press — to push
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — for pool
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fine — all right
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a friend

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