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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — to visit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pop — music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stock — goods
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — shares
  24. bear — the animal

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