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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pit — a hole
  7. march — music
  8. bound — certain
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mark — a trace
  14. march — the month
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mark — a grade
  24. march — the month

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