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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cell — in biology
  5. net — for catching
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — a measure
  9. roll — a list
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a great time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. net — after costs
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. net — in sport
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rush — hurry

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