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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. land — ground
  3. pop — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. mate — a partner
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — a country
  9. lean — to bend
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — thin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — soda
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. season — of the year

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