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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pit — a hole
  14. dip — to sink
  15. content — the amount
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — music
  19. content — happy
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pop — soda

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