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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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468
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: racket · row · kid · present · jam · bass · pitcher · mouse

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. bass — low music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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