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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. root — of a word
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tear — from crying
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — low music
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cap — of ice
  14. foot — a measure
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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