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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — the underground
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. track — to keep track
  6. date — the fruit
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. tube — a container
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — final
  11. track — a song
  12. rock — a stone
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. last — to go on
  21. track — a path
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. scale — in music

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