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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: pitcher · lean · snap · jam · mine · bowl · stick · bear

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to click
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — thin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lean — to rest against

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