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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. dip — to sink
  16. date — the fruit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — help
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — the vegetable

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