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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — a short time
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — magic
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — high quality

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