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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. date — the fruit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. band — a music group
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a ring
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — a leader

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