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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — a gift
  6. object — to protest
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — an aim
  14. key — for a lock
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. key — the most important part
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rest — a break
  19. present — the time now
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — there
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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