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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — in golf
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — a line
  16. pit — a hole
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bound — certain
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — lets stay

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