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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. file — a tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — in sport
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. firm — a company
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. firm — steady
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stand — to bear
  24. jam — a tight spot

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