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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: kid · ball · squash · face · jam · ruler · date · track

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — a song
  4. kid — child
  5. track — to keep track
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — to point toward
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a dance
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ball — a great time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. face — part of the head
  22. track — a path
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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