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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: rest · pitcher · snap · jam · ball · bay · mouse · file

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to click
  8. rest — a break
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. file — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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