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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. date — the fruit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fine — all right
  10. content — the amount
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. season — of the year
  14. content — happy
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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