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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fork — in a road
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. roll — a list
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pop — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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