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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — a country
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mate — to breed
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. date — the fruit
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. mate — a partner
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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