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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. field — for sport
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bear — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. toast — bread
  18. clip — a video
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. dip — a sauce

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