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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — goods
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — the amount
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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