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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — for digging
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — in sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. object — to protest
  20. toast — bread
  21. tube — a container
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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