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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. court — of law
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bound — obliged
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of a king
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. court — for sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. dip — to sink

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