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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. staff — a stick
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — to push
  15. club — a group
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for golf
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. track — a song

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