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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. current — electric
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — bread
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rule — government
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bass — low music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — the fish

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