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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pop — soda
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spring — the season
  6. chair — a leader
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spring — of water
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. toast — bread
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — to visit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chair — a professorship

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