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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: mouse · season · craft · bat · jam · land · mine · chip

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — boats
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mine — for digging
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — of the year
  12. land — a country
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bat — the animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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