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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — soda
  5. roll — a list
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a line
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. roll — on a roll

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