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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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — obliged
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — to eat

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