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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: pitcher · straw · jam · bore · content · bass · bay · bound

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. content — happy
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — the fish
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bound — tied together
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — certain
  13. content — the amount
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bass — low music

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