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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: bass · track · drill · kid · pit · jam · date · rush

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bass — the fish
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — in a race
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — to keep track
  8. drill — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bass — low music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kid — child
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pit — a hole
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. track — a song

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