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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — of a king
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. file — a tool
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hand — help
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — for sport
  16. hand — in cards
  17. file — a document
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — to be able to

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