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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — a price
  6. file — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lie — to recline
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a line of people
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a document
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — electricity
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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