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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: bowl · calf · club · patient · mine · mouse · jam · pit

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. club — a group
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pit — a hole

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