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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. date — the fruit
  3. firm — steady
  4. craft — a skill
  5. firm — decided
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — a company
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. roll — a list
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mate — a partner
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fork — in a road
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. saw — the tool

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