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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. toast — bread
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — hasty
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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