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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. present — the time now
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — a country
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. land — to come down
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. present — there
  16. pass — a permit
  17. land — ground
  18. can — a tin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. can — to be able to
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. pass — to succeed

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