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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: wave · jam · spring · bear · mine · court · spell · coach

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. court — for sport
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. court — of a king
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — of law
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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