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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spell — magic
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — letters
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. toast — bread

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