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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a hat
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a lid
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. sharp — exactly

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