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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a grade
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. vault — a safe
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a document
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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