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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. file — a tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — magic
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — for sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — completely

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