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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — to handle
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — to play on
  14. capital — a city
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. swing — in golf
  24. capital — a big letter

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