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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — a break
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chip — to eat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — boats
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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