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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: pass · date · chest · wound · pit · jam · bound · leaves

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. leaves — to go away

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