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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. scale — size or range
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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