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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: can · mouse · pop · stick · jam · wake · deal · rash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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