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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. firm — a company
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — farmland
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — decided
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — a group
  15. clip — a video
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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