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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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 — the fruit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — thin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — a position
  23. tube — a container
  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