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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. tube — a container
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — of water
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — a break
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — goods
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spring — the season
  20. mug — a face
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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