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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: pop · jam · mouse · pitcher · wake · content · lean · toast

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lean — thin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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