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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — after costs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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