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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mug — a face
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mug — a cup
  7. club — for golf
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. club — for dancing
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rule — a law
  20. mug — to rob
  21. club — a group
  22. rule — government
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitcher — a jug

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