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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — a skill
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — a sauce

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