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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — a position
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — the earth
  18. toast — bread
  19. mate — to breed
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. temple — a place of worship

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