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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. court — of a king
  6. mark — a grade
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of law
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — to be able to
  24. court — for sport

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