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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. foot — a measure
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — a container

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