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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cold — an illness
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cold — not warm
  15. suit — to fit
  16. charge — electricity
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cold — the Cold War

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