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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a face
  14. tube — a container
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — to rob
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wound — an injury

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