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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — to rip
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a committee
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mark — a grade
  16. board — to get on
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — in a road
  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