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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — a match
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — a company
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. bark — to shout
  18. game — wild animals
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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