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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
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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: shower · wave · season · mouse · key · jam · bat · pit

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. shower — rain
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. season — in sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bat — the animal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. key — in music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — the most important part
  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