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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fine — high quality
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. capital — money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — all right

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