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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. club — for golf
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spring — the season
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. track — a song
  8. spring — of water
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — for dancing
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a path
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. game — a match
  21. track — to keep track
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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