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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: pitcher · foot · jam · season · mug · pound · wave · race

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mug — a face
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. season — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. race — the arms race
  11. season — of the year
  12. race — humankind
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mug — to rob
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — a contest
  24. pitcher — a jug

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