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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a dish

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