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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: mine · pit · date · kid · rash · roll · jam · pass

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rash — a series
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — a list
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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