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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. net — for catching
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — a list
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. net — after costs
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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