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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — hasty
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. field — a subject
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. field — for sport
  23. hand — help
  24. field — farmland

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