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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
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. charge — in control
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. charge — a price
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — wild animals

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