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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 · date · squash · leaves · bat · season · rock · kid

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. squash — to crush
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. date — the fruit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kid — child

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