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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: mouse · lash · date · rush · content · key · jam · bat

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. content — happy
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. date — the fruit
  9. key — in music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. content — the amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rush — hurry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mouse — for a computer

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