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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pop — soda
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tube — a container
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pop — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — to fit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — to visit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — a division
  24. stand — on your feet

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