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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. toast — bread
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. snap — to click
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. march — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ground — the earth
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. march — the month

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