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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bark — to shout
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — in control
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — rain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. deal — to handle

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