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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. present — a gift
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — to bear
  16. present — there
  17. scale — size or range
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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