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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · jam · nail · last · mouse · march · rock · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. last — final

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