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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. club — a group
  11. present — a gift
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — for dancing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. last — final
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — finally
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. club — for golf

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