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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — to bear
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. track — a path
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — a song
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — a phone

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