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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. capital — a city
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fall — the season
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — a face
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a match
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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