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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. roll — a list
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. roll — a cake
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to sink
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rule — a law
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — government
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. dip — a sauce

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