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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: deal · kid · present · date · drill · object · plane · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. drill — a practice
  3. present — the time now
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. date — the fruit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — a gift
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. kid — to tease
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — child
  15. drill — army training
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — an aim
  19. plane — a tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — there
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. deal — an agreement

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