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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — to drill
  7. field — a subject
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a ring
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to tire
  21. band — a music group
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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