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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bass — the fish
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — in a race
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — a hole
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — a thing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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