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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. club — for golf
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ground — the earth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. game — a match
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for dancing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — a group
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rock — music

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