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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. pass — a permit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. last — final
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — of the sea

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