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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. charge — electricity
  4. firm — decided
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — a price
  11. stock — goods
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — crushed
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — to dunk

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