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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bore — to tire
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — in sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a signal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cue — a hint
  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