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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. drill — the tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — a group
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mark — a grade
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — army training
  15. row — to paddle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — a practice
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mark — a trace

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