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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cold — an illness
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — music

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