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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — a friend
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — the fruit
  7. present — a gift
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — to breed
  14. scale — in music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — rain
  22. chip — to eat
  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