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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. last — finally
  3. net — for catching
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. land — ground
  6. net — in sport
  7. toast — bread
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fine — all right
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — to come down
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. last — final
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. land — a country
  24. last — to go on

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