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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. file — a line of people
  3. club — for golf
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — a group
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a document
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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