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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pop — soda
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rule — government
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stand — to bear
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — music
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — for spectators

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