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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. land — ground
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. land — a country
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. chair — a professorship

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