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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chair — a leader
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — a song
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. pit — in a race
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. pit — a hole
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. track — a path
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — a straw man

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