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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: mug · tube · mouse · saw · wind · season · jam · stock

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — in sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — of the year
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a face
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tube — in a tire

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