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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — to protest
  5. date — the fruit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. club — a group
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. current — of water
  14. object — an aim
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. current — electric
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — happening now

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