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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — a series
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — in a race
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. scale — size or range

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