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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — ground
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. land — a country
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chest — a box
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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