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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. game — a match
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. game — wild animals
  7. present — there
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. date — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — a gift
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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