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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: roll · jam · kid · dip · club · patient · pit · squash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — to sink
  4. club — for dancing
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kid — child
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. club — for golf
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kid — to tease
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. squash — the sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. club — a group
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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