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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rock — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rock — a stone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — for betting
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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