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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. land — to come down
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. can — a tin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — a country
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wave — with your hand

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