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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: bulb · ground · jam · fall · arm · bowl · spring · snap

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. snap — to click
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fall — the season
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — the season
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spring — of water
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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