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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a ring
  4. date — the fruit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — of a plant
  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