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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — of a river
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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