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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. club — a group
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ground — a position
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. scale — size or range
  11. club — for dancing
  12. capital — a city
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ground — the earth
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — crushed
  18. capital — money
  19. club — for golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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