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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cap — a lid
  12. toast — bread
  13. track — a song
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. track — a path
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. track — to keep track

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