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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rule — government
  3. pop — music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — in football
  16. bass — low music
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. jam — in traffic

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