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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. object — a thing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — a permit
  10. object — to protest
  11. spring — a coil
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. spring — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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