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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — all right
  8. march — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bass — low music
  17. rash — a series
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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