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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. row — a line
  7. shower — rain
  8. court — of a king
  9. shower — to wash
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — of law
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. object — to protest
  14. toast — bread
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. object — an aim
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — a safe
  19. foot — a measure
  20. court — for sport
  21. row — to paddle
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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