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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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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 · object · toast · branch · wake · date · pit · ruler

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — an aim
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. object — to protest
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. object — a thing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. jam — a tight spot

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