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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ground — the earth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cold — not warm
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. suit — to fit
  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