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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: mug · bark · bat · game · face · jam · cabinet · bay

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. game — a match
  13. mug — to rob
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — a face
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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