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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — certain
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. row — a line
  10. pit — a hole
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — obliged
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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