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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a document
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — in music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. date — on the calendar

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