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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. date — the fruit
  8. swing — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bank — of a river
  16. swing — to play on
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chair — to sit on

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