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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: snap · date · stick · ball · mate · field · jam · swing

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. date — the fruit
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. swing — in golf
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — to play on
  12. field — farmland
  13. mate — a friend
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ball — a dance
  16. swing — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. mate — a partner
  19. field — a subject
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — on the calendar
  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