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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — a friend

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