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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cap — a lid
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. root — of a word
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — goods
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — shares
  19. root — the cause
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bowl — a dish

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