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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. field — farmland
  4. charge — a price
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. field — a subject
  7. drill — army training
  8. key — in music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — the most important part
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. field — for sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — for a lock

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