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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
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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: plane · jam · pitcher · mug · spring · kid · bass · drill

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — low music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kid — to tease
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — of water
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — a tool

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