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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. march — music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — a song
  10. shower — to wash
  11. track — to keep track
  12. shower — rain
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — in music

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