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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wake — a trail
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. deal — to handle
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. row — a line
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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