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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — a position
  8. cell — in biology
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to click
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a path
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. row — a line
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — the earth
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cell — a phone

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