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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. clip — a video
  18. club — for golf
  19. swing — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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