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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — to visit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. field — for sport
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — soda
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pop — music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. field — farmland
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mug — a face
  22. rush — hurry
  23. field — a subject
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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