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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — the earth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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