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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — a price
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — crushed
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rest — a break
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to click
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — in control
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. game — a match
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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