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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — rain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. trunk — of a tree

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