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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: bank · dip · pop · pit · jam · sharp · last · cabinet

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — soda
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. last — finally
  19. pop — music
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — final

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