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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. can — a tin
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pop — music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — in sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cue — a signal

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