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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. toast — bread
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chest — a box
  5. march — music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. lean — to bend

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