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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. last — finally
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — to go on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — for catching
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. last — final
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — for sport
  15. toast — bread
  16. field — a subject
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. net — after costs
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — a partner
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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