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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — happy
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. foot — a measure
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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