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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — a law
  3. date — the fruit
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — to drill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. branch — a division
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mug — a face
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. game — a match

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