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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. race — the arms race
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — to shout
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — happy
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chair — a leader
  24. race — a contest

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