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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. fall — to drop
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bark — to shout
  24. date — on the calendar

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