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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — a price
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — an amount
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — in control
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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