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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stand — to bear
  15. net — after costs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. net — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — the fruit
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — a grade

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