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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. present — there
  4. roll — a list
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. swing — in golf
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — a cake
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bound — certain
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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