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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — happy
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — the amount
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — soda
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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