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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. toast — bread
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — happy
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. content — the amount
  21. wax — to grow
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hand — help
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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