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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — to confront
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — in control
  16. face — to point toward
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — of a river
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bank — for money

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