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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. court — of a king
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. toast — bread
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — to come from
  18. court — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — a leader

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