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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — boats
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a skill
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. branch — of a bank

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