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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fall — to drop
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fall — the season
  15. key — in music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chair — a professorship

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