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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pit — in a race
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a hole
  13. toast — bread
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — help
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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