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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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 — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fall — the season
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stock — shares
  11. spring — of water
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — the season
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pound — a weight
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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