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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — clever
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. content — happy
  8. game — a match
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — wild animals
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bore — to tire
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bore — to drill

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