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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rock — a stone
  4. current — of water
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — electric
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — happening now
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — a tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. date — on the calendar

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