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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — a trail
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. club — a group
  16. present — the time now
  17. club — for golf
  18. shower — rain
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wake — before a funeral

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