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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. swing — in golf
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chest — of your body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — of your body

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