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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. track — a path
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — to fit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — to eat
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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