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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — help
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. foot — a measure
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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