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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. roll — a list
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — of ice
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — to handle
  11. charge — in control
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — to crush
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — electricity

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