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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. can — to be able to
  4. court — of a king
  5. cell — a phone
  6. file — a tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a line of people
  11. firm — a company
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a document
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — steady
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cell — in biology
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. can — a tin

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