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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — magic
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. kick — in football
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cold — not warm
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spell — letters
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spell — a short time
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fine — high quality

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