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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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