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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pop — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. snap — to click
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — a container
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — a part of something

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