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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: spell · spring · jam · ground · bay · fan · can · prune

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — magic
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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