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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spring — of water
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. court — for sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. court — of law
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. spring — the season
  24. bowl — a football final

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