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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: jam · mine · rest · key · cell · sharp · mug · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cell — in biology
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — a break
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mine — for digging
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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