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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. row — a line
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. row — to paddle
  14. squash — the sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. club — a group
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. club — for dancing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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