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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. roll — a cake
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. roll — a list
  12. kick — in football
  13. pass — a permit
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. field — farmland
  18. can — to be able to
  19. foot — a measure
  20. field — for sport
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. can — a tin

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