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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. game — a match
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — government
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — in control
  13. bat — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rule — a law
  22. mate — to breed
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mouse — the animal

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