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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: jam · bass · pit · rule · date · plane · mate · band

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pit — in a race
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — a law
  10. mate — a partner
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rule — government
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pit — a hole

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