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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: foot · jam · date · scale · wind · pass · cue · land

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. scale — in music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pass — a permit
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — size or range
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — part of the body

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