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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. scale — size or range
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — in music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. shower — rain
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — a signal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. present — the time now
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — to eat with

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