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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mark — a trace
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. suit — clothes
  8. club — for dancing
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. suit — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. band — a music group
  19. row — a line
  20. band — a ring
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — to paddle

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