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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pass — a permit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — happy
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitch — completely
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — the amount
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lean — thin

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