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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade
  19. drill — a practice
  20. field — a subject
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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