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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · drill · jam · bay · land · kid · season · board

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — of the year
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. board — a committee
  14. land — to come down
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mug — to rob
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. kid — to tease
  23. land — ground
  24. jam — in traffic

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