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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: pound · bay · bulb · can · jam · land · fan · mug

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — to come down
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — a weight
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — ground
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mug — a cup
  24. jam — a tight spot

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