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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pit — in a race
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — a partner

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