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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mine — for digging
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. toast — bread
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bound — certain
  19. file — a line of people
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. craft — boats
  23. chair — a leader
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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