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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — goods
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ground — a position
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — shares
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pop — soda
  18. ground — crushed
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rest — what's left
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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