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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. game — wild animals
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — a face
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — a price
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. root — the cause
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — a cup
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — of a word
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mug — to rob

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