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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: plane · suit · jam · date · ball · spring · cap · chest

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — of your body
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cap — a hat
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chest — a box
  16. spring — the season
  17. cap — of ice
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. date — the fruit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spring — of water
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ball — a round shape

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