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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — in control
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. land — a country
  11. hand — in cards
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — help
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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