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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — bread
  7. field — farmland
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — to paddle
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rock — music
  19. row — a line
  20. cold — not warm
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. row — a quarrel

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