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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tube — a container
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. court — of a king
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — to eat
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. row — to paddle

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