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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — a position
  5. land — ground
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stem — to come from
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — to come down
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — a country

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