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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. date — the fruit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. squash — the sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. tube — a container
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. season — in sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. season — of the year
  24. jam — a tight spot

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