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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — the most important part
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — in music
  20. roll — a list
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wound — an injury
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. capital — a big letter

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