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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. kid — child
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — size or range
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kid — to tease
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — to hurry

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