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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chip — to eat
  3. suit — to fit
  4. shower — rain
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. present — a gift
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — the fruit
  14. present — there
  15. spring — a coil
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — the time now

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