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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — happy
  7. capital — a city
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — in music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fall — the season
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. content — the amount
  24. lean — to rest against

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