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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — a lid
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — a hole
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — a group
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. club — for golf
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. content — happy

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