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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. date — the fruit
  3. spell — letters
  4. key — the most important part
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spring — of water
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mate — to breed
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spring — the season
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mate — a friend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — a short time

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