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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — to recline
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — child
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kid — to tease
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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