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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. present — a gift
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ground — a position

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