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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. board — to get on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — a law
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a committee
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — a position
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — the earth
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rule — government
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — a measure
  24. scale — for weighing

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