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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. content — the amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. march — the month
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. band — a music group
  9. fall — the season
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — the fruit
  14. content — happy
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a ring
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — videos and posts

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