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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — of water
  3. pitch — completely
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mate — to breed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — electric
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mate — a partner
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lie — to recline
  23. current — happening now
  24. calf — of the leg

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