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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — low music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — a measure
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. toast — bread

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