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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rule — government
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — a friend
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mate — to breed
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. prune — to trim

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