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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. spring — of water
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — happening now
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. current — electric
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — of water
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spring — a coil

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