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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — a permit
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a face
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. drill — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chip — to eat

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