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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. press — to push
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — a publisher
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — a lid
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ground — crushed
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — of ice

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