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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rule — government
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rule — a law
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — for betting
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chip — to eat
  24. date — on the calendar

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