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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. craft — boats
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pit — a hole
  17. object — to protest
  18. game — wild animals
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — an aim

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