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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — the season
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. present — there
  12. content — the amount
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — of water
  20. pit — a hole
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fine — all right

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