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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mate — to breed
  3. date — the fruit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pound — a weight
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a ring
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. band — a music group
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stem — of a plant

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