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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — happening now
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — of water
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — the fruit
  15. current — electric
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pit — a hole
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — for betting
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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