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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — letters
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. court — of a king
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — a practice
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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