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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mug — a cup
  4. date — the fruit
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — a list
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cap — a lid
  12. roll — a cake
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. court — for sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. court — of a king
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — of law

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