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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kid — child
  4. ball — a great time
  5. suit — in cards
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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