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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — the fish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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