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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mark — a trace
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a grade
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — to crush

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