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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. board — a committee
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — to get on
  14. cell — in biology
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. firm — steady
  18. cell — a phone
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pound — a weight
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fine — all right
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chip — in a computer

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