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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. can — to be able to
  3. degree — from a university
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tear — from crying
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tear — to rip
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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