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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — a leader
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — the season
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — a trail

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