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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rest — a break
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chip — to eat
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — bread

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