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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: jam · wind · band · bat · mug · sharp · shower · deal

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — to rob
  6. shower — rain
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mug — a face
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. band — a music group
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mug — a cup
  24. deal — to handle

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