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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a document
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — in football

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