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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. date — the fruit
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. board — to get on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chair — a leader
  14. shower — rain
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. board — a committee
  24. chair — to sit on

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