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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — a thing
  6. rash — hasty
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. object — an aim
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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