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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. toast — bread
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — not warm
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. march — the month
  24. toast — the most admired

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