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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — clever
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — electricity
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. charge — in control
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. bulb — for light
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bulb — for light

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