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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a hint
  6. toast — bread
  7. shower — to wash
  8. present — the time now
  9. chip — to eat
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — a signal
  14. present — a gift
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. shower — rain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kick — in football
  24. chip — for betting

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