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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — to shout
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — the sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — a container
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — the underground

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