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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. roll — a list
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. season — of the year
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. roll — a cake
  10. craft — boats
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. march — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. craft — a skill
  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