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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kid — to tease
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. land — to come down
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ball — a great time
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kid — child

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