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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wind — moving air
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pit — a hole

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