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

Word bank: jam · wind · content · leaves · march · club · chip · mouse

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. club — a group
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. club — for dancing
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. content — happy

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