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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. net — for catching
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. clip — to cut
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — a video
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — for paper
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. date — on the calendar

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