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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: jam · mine · deal · dip · ball · pound · bear · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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