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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lean — thin
  16. scale — size or range
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rock — a stone
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — part of the body

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