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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spell — a short time
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. kid — child
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — in control
  13. row — a line
  14. spell — magic
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — a price
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — to tease
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — crushed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — a stick

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