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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. clip — a video
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fall — the season
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — a stick
  20. clip — for paper
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. clip — to cut
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — the sport

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