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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. swing — to play on
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — the season
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. spring — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. swing — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. toast — bread
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. date — the fruit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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