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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pop — music
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pop — soda
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. file — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. file — a document
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. toast — 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