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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — a position
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. swing — to play on
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. swing — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. last — final
  24. bay — a horse colour

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