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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — the underground
  5. drill — army training
  6. field — a subject
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — of ice
  11. current — of water
  12. field — farmland
  13. cap — a hat
  14. field — for sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — happening now
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — a part of something

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