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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — soda
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rule — a law
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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