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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. row — a line
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — a tight spot

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