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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hand — help
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — boats
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mouse — the animal

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