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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — all right
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — to come down
  24. bat — for baseball

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