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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. vault — a safe

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