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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chip — to eat
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pit — in a race

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