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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. march — the month
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mate — a friend
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — music
  14. cold — an illness
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cold — not warm

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