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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — a position
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stem — of a plant

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