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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cap — a hat
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. land — to come down
  10. track — a song
  11. land — a country
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. track — a path
  16. cap — a lid
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — ground
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. racket — a loud noise

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