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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — steady
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — low music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. season — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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