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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: pop · arm · key · bowl · jam · mouse · row · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. key — in music
  3. row — a line
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — for a lock
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pop — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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