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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: fall · plane · date · drill · racket · jam · can · bat

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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