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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. date — the fruit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — to fit
  9. capital — a city
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. capital — money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chip — for betting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. suit — in cards
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cell — in biology

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