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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. file — a line of people
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chair — a leader
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — to come down
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. land — ground
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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