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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: mug · kid · press · jam · bark · date · fall · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fall — the season
  3. kid — to tease
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. kid — child
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. press — to push
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — a face
  21. press — a publisher
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — to handle

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