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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a city
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. plane — a tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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