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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · snap · kick · fine · date · field · bark

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kick — in football
  23. snap — to click
  24. kick — with a leg

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