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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: pitcher · file · squash · jam · cell · can · bound · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. file — a line of people
  6. can — a tin
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. file — a document
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — a phone
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. file — a tool
  21. chest — a box
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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