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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. track — to keep track
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. track — a path
  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