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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. date — the fruit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. current — happening now
  12. bark — to shout
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — electric
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. season — in sport
  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