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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — to eat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. spell — letters
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chip — for betting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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