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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 · mug · squash · branch · can · pitcher · kid · bear

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mug — a cup
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. squash — to crush
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. kid — to tease
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — 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