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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. content — the amount
  9. track — a path
  10. content — happy
  11. track — a song
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. track — to keep track
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pit — in a race
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — all right
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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