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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stock — goods
  6. ground — a position
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. swing — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ground — crushed
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rule — a law

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