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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 · ball · straw · shower · bulb · chair · racket · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. shower — rain
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ball — a great time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. chair — a leader
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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