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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chest — of your body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — of your body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chest — a box
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — clever
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — a safe

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