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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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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: jam · mine · stand · pop · plane · rule · date · fine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — government
  10. fine — all right
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pop — soda
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pop — to visit
  19. plane — a tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — the fruit
  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