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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — the time now
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. cue — a hint
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cue — a signal
  21. content — happy
  22. court — of law
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — the amount

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