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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — a tool
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — help
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pit — in a race

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