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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — of the year
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. season — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a document
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. club — for dancing
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — for golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — a group
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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