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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. firm — a company
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — child
  6. content — the amount
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — decided
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — steady
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. content — happy

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