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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. date — the fruit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a line of people
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — boats
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a document
  15. craft — a skill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rule — government
  22. file — a tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. squash — to crush

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