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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. mine — belonging to me
  3. file — a tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. coach — a trainer
  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