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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 do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mug — a cup
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mug — a face
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — in golf
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fine — high quality

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