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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kid — child
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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