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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. band — a music group
  3. net — for catching
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a ring
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. club — a group
  14. snap — to click
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. toast — bread
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — after costs
  24. jam — a tight spot

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