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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 a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — a list
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — clever

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