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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mug — to rob
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bat — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — shares
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cabinet — ministers

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