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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — a position
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — the earth
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — crushed
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. roll — a list
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — the tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — army training
  24. roll — on a roll

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