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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. date — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ball — a great time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. club — a group
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a dance
  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