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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. swing — in golf
  3. object — to protest
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — to come down
  7. swing — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. court — for sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lie — an untruth

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