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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cue — a hint
  19. board — to get on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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