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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — size or range
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. game — wild animals
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. press — to push

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