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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mate — a partner
  5. content — the amount
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. content — happy
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — of a king
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. toast — bread
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rest — a break
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. court — for sport

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