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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cell — in biology
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ball — a dance
  18. date — the fruit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a tree

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