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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. toast — bread
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ground — the earth
  5. last — final
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bore — to tire
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — a price
  11. last — to go on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ground — crushed
  17. last — finally
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — in control
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ground — a position

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