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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: bound · mouse · band · pitcher · jam · rash · degree · can

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. degree — from a university
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. degree — temperature
  8. band — a ring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — a series
  19. bound — obliged
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. can — a tin

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