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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. date — the fruit
  6. land — a country
  7. roll — a cake
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. land — ground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. present — there
  17. land — to come down
  18. present — the time now
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. net — for catching
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. net — after costs

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