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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. track — a song
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — a partner
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. present — the time now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. bat — the animal

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