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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spring — the season
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — for dancing
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — a group
  19. root — of a word
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — to eat with

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