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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. band — a music group
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chip — for betting
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of a king

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