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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — in golf
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — a song
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — of ice
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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