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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pit — a hole
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — in a road
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — in football
  15. track — to keep track
  16. march — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. track — a song
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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