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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — for catching
  5. cell — in biology
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — tied together
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — certain
  11. field — a subject
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bound — obliged
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. net — in sport

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