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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. craft — boats
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitch — completely
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mine — for digging
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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