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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chest — a box
  9. date — the fruit
  10. band — a ring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mug — a face
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. band — a music group
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mug — to rob
  24. band — a rubber band

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