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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. capital — a big letter

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