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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — size or range
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hand — help
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cell — in biology
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — for weighing

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