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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: jam · mouse · pitcher · chair · wound · saw · rule · bay

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rule — government
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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