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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a great time
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — in sport
  12. track — a song
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — all right
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. track — a path

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