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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — in control
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. charge — a price
  8. cold — an illness
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fine — all right
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. charge — electricity
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fine — a penalty

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