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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — in biology
  8. craft — boats
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rock — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fine — high quality
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rock — a stone
  24. craft — a skill

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