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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 settled on a ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — a gift
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bound — obliged
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — there
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. present — the time now
  20. firm — a company
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to click

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