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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — a break
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a hint
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a signal

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