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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stem — to come from
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cue — a signal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — for dancing
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. club — a group
  24. track — a song

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