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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. file — a document
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pit — a hole
  23. key — in music
  24. toast — bread

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