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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — newspapers
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — hasty
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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