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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: fan · can · jam · mate · safe · bark · ground · mouse

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mate — a friend
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — a position
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mate — to breed
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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