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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: bark · mouse · safe · season · pitcher · cap · jam · lean

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — to shout
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lean — thin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. season — of the year

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