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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — happening now
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chair — a leader
  10. field — for sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. current — of water
  14. field — a subject
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. current — electric
  17. field — farmland
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cue — for pool

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