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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tear — from crying
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pit — a hole
  19. root — of a word
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — the cause
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kick — in football
  24. rock — to move gently

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