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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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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: rock · jam · pop · kick · deal · row · wind · pitcher

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a line
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pop — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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