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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. date — the fruit
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — the sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. date — on the calendar
  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