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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — a list
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cabinet — ministers

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