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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. race — the arms race
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — the amount
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. content — happy
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. race — a contest
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chip — to eat
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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