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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ground — a position
  3. mug — a cup
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — the earth
  11. march — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. march — the month
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — crushed
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a trace
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. jam — to spread on 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