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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. game — wild animals
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. staff — a stick
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a match
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. vault — a safe
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. clip — a video

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