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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — a lid
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. saw — the tool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spring — of water
  20. chair — a leader
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a hat

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