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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. firm — a company
  10. pop — to visit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — soda
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — the vegetable

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