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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. date — the fruit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — to be able to

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