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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: game · rock · lean · pitcher · mouse · jam

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. jam — in traffic

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