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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — for digging
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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