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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. tube — a container
  2. date — the fruit
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — low music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — to breed
  11. last — to go on
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mate — a friend
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. last — final
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fork — to eat with
  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