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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ground — the earth
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kick — in football
  6. last — final
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. last — finally
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. charge — a price
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ground — a position
  24. last — to go on

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