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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. object — to protest
  3. date — the fruit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. squash — the sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. squash — to crush
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chip — for betting
  13. object — a thing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — in music

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