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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — all right
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — to come down
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a dance
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lean — thin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — in control
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — high quality
  22. charge — electricity
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ball — a great time

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