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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. file — a tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. pit — in a race
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. object — an aim
  15. board — a committee
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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