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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: pop · bay · jam · suit · mine · mouse · wind · pitcher

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — soda
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pop — to visit

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