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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 just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. date — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. shower — rain
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — a line
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chip — to eat

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