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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · fall · file · jam · date · bear · chair · pound

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. suit — to fit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fall — the season
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pound — a weight
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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