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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. swing — music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. object — a thing
  23. swing — to play on
  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