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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. degree — from a university
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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