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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chest — a box
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. content — happy
  11. craft — boats
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — of your body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — the amount
  24. squash — to crush

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