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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. land — a country
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. land — to come down
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — a thrill
  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