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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mine · last · ball · row · dip · straw · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. last — finally
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — final
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. last — to go on
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. row — a line
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mine — for digging
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. dip — to dunk

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