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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — magic
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spell — letters
  10. net — after costs
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. net — in sport
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — a short time

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