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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. craft — boats
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a skill
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — of the year

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