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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. field — farmland
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — a subject
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. pit — in a race

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