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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. row — a line
  7. foot — a measure
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. firm — decided
  13. row — to paddle
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — in control
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — steady
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. can — a tin

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