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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — of ice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. swing — music
  22. net — after costs
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — to play on

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