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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. clip — a video
  10. ground — a position
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ground — crushed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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