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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — for betting
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. net — for catching
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. date — the fruit
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. plane — a tool
  24. chip — to eat

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