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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: jam · bowl · rush · saw · date · cabinet · object · track

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. object — an aim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — to keep track
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a song
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  24. bowl — a football 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