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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. land — ground
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — to come down
  16. season — of the year
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ball — a great time
  22. land — a country
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wound — an injury

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